Charges laid over Hawke's Bay water contamination

18/11/2016

Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC) has laid charges over contamination of the region's water supply earlier this year. The council alleges the unnamed party unlawfully took water from the aquifer and failed to meet maintenance conditions. Tests confirmed that campylobacter had contaminated the Havelock North water supply bore in August, making over 5000 people sick and hospitalising more than 20. The disease was a contributing cause in three deaths, it was revealed during a Government enquiry into the outbreak. The HBRC says it "found evidence of a breach of the maintenance conditions of the party's resource consent" after conducting an investigation into the contamination and condition of water supply bores in the area. HBRC Chief Executive Andrew Newman says the drinking water contamination has had a devastating effect on the Havelock North community with wider regional impacts and "HBRC is very keen to see the cause of the contamination identified and to ensure it does not happen again". Newshub.